Just another number
by Crazy4Utwo
Summary: In his years of working on Foodcourtia, Sizz-Lorr has seen many people who have been the collateral damage of ZIM. It happens about as often as bad break ups, or a loved one being eaten by blobs from space. Shortly after the most recent foodening, he meets a young women who was just another one of those victims. TASLF


I haven't written Invader ZIM fanfiction in years, probably not since 06 or 07. I've had this story idea in my head for a long while, but the original was more shippy. So I guess it's a good thing I've waited a while. I think Tak and Sizz-Lorr would probably be good friend (at least for Irkens), or at least be able to relate to each other a little. More drabble than anything, but I hope someone finds this enjoyable.

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It was the end of another foodening, but it wasn't time for rest. For the first time in twenty years, Shloogorgh's was empty of customers, and was long over due for a cleaning. Not that Sizz-Lorr hadn't attempted to clean, it was impossible when every square inch of the eating area was taken up by people of every shape and size.

Holding a bucket and mop the large Irken survived his territory. The place stank of cooking fat and old fries, and everything seemed covered by a layer of grease. Sizz-Lorr noticed that one of the tables was already getting tentacle-like mold on it's surface.

"Looks like I'll be needing the heavy duty bleach." He said to himself.

Returning with a large spray bottle, he eradicated the mold. It wasn't as bad as booth twelve, but he didn't have ZIM to clean it. His eye twitched. Just thinking about the small defective nearly made him crush the bottle in his large fist. He'd have something special ready for him next time.

"Excuse me." Came a voice, "Are you opened?"

Sizz-Lorr looked up from the table, glaring at who ever was at the door. Before he could snarl at them, he saw it was an Irken wearing dark purple robes. That alone made him pause and try to think of a more friendly response.

"I just saw that your sign still said 'open', every place else is closed or destroyed." The purple eyed Irken said.

"Fine, I think we have some vort dogs in back." Sizz-Lorr grumbled.

The robes didn't reveal the women's rank, they looked custom made even. She wasn't very tall, but that didn't mean she wasn't an elite or have a high rank. Something about her seemed familiar to him. She held herself with an air of authority, her back straight and her eyes sharp.

"I just want a drink, honestly. Some place to sit down. I'll pay you, obviously." She said.

"Fine, I can do that." He said, heading behind the counter, "Just find a booth that's less filthy and let me clean."

When Sizz-Lorr returned with the can of soda, from his own reserves, he found the women was sitting at the booth he had just cleaned. If she spilled, he swore there would be words. She took she soda, cracked it open and sipped, staring straight ahead.

"Is there anything else?" Sizz-Lorr asked, decades as a Frylord making the words reflexive.

"Please snap ZIM's scrawny next for me, that would be all." She muttered.

Oh, that was it. He'd seen this before, people who had good lives, then ZIM happened to them. It honestly made him feel a little better about his own situation, seeing as he hadn't lost much. Turning off the opened sign, he returned to the booth, and sat down across from her, taking up the whole, sticky bench.

"What did he do to you? Kill your family, destroy your home, turn a beloved family pet into a monster?" Talking to other victims of ZIM had become almost therapeutic for both parties.

"You've heard of the Devastis black out, correct." She said, focusing on her soda.

"Oh... You're an elite?"

"I was going to be one." She hissed, the can creaking under her grip, "But I was trapped on the half on the planet that was under the black out."

Sizz-Lorr nodded understandingly. No wonder she looked like someone of such a high ranking, yet looked so beat down. It was almost like one of those legends of banished Tallest. Not that those were real, if a Tallest got discharged, they would be launched into a sun.

"I was stuck on janitorial duty on planet Dirt, for nearly fifty years. Do you have any idea how- Ohh, sorry." She said, getting a look at the restaurant around them, and slapping at a tentacle from under the table.

"Still, sounds rough." Sizz-Lorr said, spraying the tendril of mold with the bleach.

They watched as it died, flopping onto the dirty floor. Sizz-Lorr gave the underside of the table a few more sprays, careful of the women.

"Sorry bout that. Continue." He said, placing the bottle on the table.

"I went after him, you know, to try and take back what's mine." She said, voice rising, "I went all the way to that insignificant little blue planet, infiltrated it, and some how, by sheer dumb luck, he beat me."

"I did the same thing. Well not the same I guess, but I went after him. I even brought him back, but the little pest escaped before this last foodening." Sizz-Lorr said.

"Just how many people had that little prat ruined?" The woman wondered.

"Five hundred and twenty six." Sizz-Lorr said, "And that's only the ones I've been able to talk with over these past hundred years."

She looked down at her soda can, which sloshed sadly, "My names Tak. I already know yours, in on your name tag. I'm not sure if I should thank you for what you've told me, or redouble my efforts to bring ZIM to justice."

"Maybe it would be better for the universe if someone just fed him to a blob." Sizz-Lorr said.

"So, ZIM is really a food service drone?" Tak asked, finishing her soda.

Sizz-Lorr nodded. It was so quiet, with most of the customers off planet now. Off in the distance there was the faint beeping of machinery. Probably the Tower of Shlump being repaired, this foodening had been particularly harsh to them.

"His pak still says so." Sizz-Lorr said.

"Well mine does have me as a janitor." Tak muttered, crushing her empty soda can.

"I get the feeling that you would have gotten the ranking of an Elite. You didn't wipe out any Irken life, did you?" Sizz-Lorr said.

"No, of course not." Tak said, pulling back from the table.

"I didn't mean to offend you." Sizz-Lorr said, "You know, just forget it, that soda is on the house."

Tak's shoulders eased a little, but her posture stayed upright, "Thank you, my good Frylord."

Sizz-Lorr expected her to get up and leave. She probably had better things to do than sit around in a dirty restaurant talking about her nemesis.

"Are you going to go after ZIM again. Now that the foodening is over?" Tak asked.

"Maybe after I hire more people. Gashloog managed to get a record deal and the other guy... I think he died." Sizz-Lorr said.

"Tragic." Tak observed.

"Yes. I doubt he's going to be able to follow up this first record. But he's a good worker, maybe he'll ask for his job back in a few years." Sizz-Lorr continued.

"The music industry is harsh." Tak agreed.

"So, what are you going to do?" Sizz-Lorr asked.

"I've made it my mission to stop ZIM. Not for revenge, mind you, but for the good of the Empire." Tak declared.

"Maybe we'll see each other again. We could team or something." Sizz-Lorr said smiling a little.

Tak returned his smile, "I like the way you think."

And so began a beautiful friendship.


End file.
